who has the final call on the soundtrack ? editor or sound designer

o.k here is a question that been a debate between me an my sound designer friend.

who has the final call ?
let's say I have edited some piece and it has music in it, and then the project goes to the pro-tools for sound mix and maybe sound design too, and the sound designer doesn't like the music or he thinks it's not edited right (the beat i mean) does he he have the right to re-edit the music? or change the track?

in the spot making world the sound designer rarely/never has the final say. they have input and opinions but it always needs to be approved by the client. maybe with corporate videos it's different. in film it would be the director and/or producer with the final say just as with editorial. a lot of times we (offline boutique) hire a sound mixer separate from the sound designer and therefore the sound designer is not even in the equation at the end of the day.

Let me give you a direct answer to your question. No. I don't think the sound designer should change the music selection or how it's edited. If you missed a beat by a frame or something and he can hear it because he's better set up for such detail, OK, but re-edit or change, no. He's there to add sounds if I'm not mistaken.
However, in the end, neither of you have the final word, but he/she should not change what you have done, because most likely, the producer/director/client has signed off on what your music selection and your edit.

I'm usually not so blunt, but in my experience (having served in all three roles at different points in my career) the hierarchy is:

3. Sound Designer
2. Editor
1. Director

I suspect that hierarchy leads from the realization that the sound design is a "product" (or service) the Editor uses to achieve his goals towards completion of the Edit, while the entire edited program is a "product" used by the Director to achieve his final goals of realizing the clients objectives.

Ultimatly, the client calls it and if there is time and money being waisted arguing about it between editor and audio dude, they'll bail and go get it done some place it's not so hard to do it at. If your sound designer is sticking his chest out on the edit, you may have to replace him with somone that actually adds to the mix, no pun intended. His job is to enhance, not reinvent. I have had audio dudes come in the edit suite (with the client in the room) with a "did you change the timing on what I already did!?" uhm yeah, it's called editing. shew.
This is a big reason I like to just handle everything myself. Quicker, easier, better. Most places that have this done in one room, that done in another and even another thing done in another are not doing because it's efficient or because it provides a better product in the end. It's because it's the opposite of efficient and billing 3 rooms at once for a longer amount of time than it should take makes em a bigger dollar per project. Not bad if it's an ad agency never seeing that client again but ya gotta be on the level to have repeat business.
The editor drives the boat in an edit session. Thats his gig. He/she is to ensure the final product is the absolute best it can be with the elements/budget provided. If a team member aiding them is not actually doing that, they are of no use.

Shortly after Digibeta came out we were using an audio post house. He wanted his audio levels to ride the "0" level on the digital meter. We had a discussion on that. Guess who won?
He never argued a point with me again. We became even closer in our work after he decided I was higher on the ladder than he was.

Not sure if this totally answered the question, but I think it is an example of pecking order. Oh and the editor is not at all near the top.

I have had audio guys actually move the music track down their timeline, thus offsetting all of my timed cuts...I basically sent the project back and mentionned that this was unacceptable...I also pointed out to the director why he should make sure that my music tracks do not move when he sits in with the audio guy.

I agree with Tim's hierarchy....editor sits between audio and director....quite often playing the role of the director.

Can remember at least three times where the client's wife sat-in at the final screening and started a cat fight over how much better she could do the voice over. Usually leads to hiring another agency... who doesn't hire me.